Natural wool pile fabric and method for making wool pile fabric

ABSTRACT

A method of making a sheared wool, deep pile fabric that closely resembles natural sheepskin fleece that includes forming a length of wool pile fabric having natural wool fibers on one side and a scrim on an opposing side and finishing the wool pile fabric as natural shearling. The finishing process includes polishing the wool fiber side of the pile fabric by guiding the length of pile fabric over one or more heated first polishing rolls, applying a sheepskin conditioning solution to the wool fiber side of the pile fabric, further polishing the wool fiber side of the pile fabric by guiding the fabric a plurality of times over one or more second heated polishing rolls, and cutting the wool fibers to a designated length.

PRIORITY CLAIM

The present non-provisional application claims priority to and thebenefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/618,470 filed on Mar. 30,2012, U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/651,922 filed on May 25, 2012,U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/680,608 filed on Aug. 7, 2012 andU.S. Provisional Application No. 61/722,994 filed on Nov. 6, 2012, eachof which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

BACKGROUND

Sheepskin is a by-product of the meat (lamb) industry. After slaughter,sheepskin is processed including tanning, cleaning, dying andconditioning. Sheepskin can be processed for use as leather only, or canbe processed with the wool attached. The term “shearling” as used hereinrefers to sheepskin with the wool still on, which has been treated onboth the skin or leather side and the wool or fleece side. Higher gradesof shearling having acceptable quality on both the wool side and theskin side are called “twin-face” sheepskin. Shearling that has anacceptable wool side but an imperfect skin side is referred to as “tablegrade” sheepskin. The terms “natural fleece” and “fleece” as used hereinrefers to the natural wool of a sheep, either sheared from the sheep orthe wool side of shearling, as distinguished from “polar fleece,” whichis a soft napped synthetic fabric.

Shearling is used in a variety of products including footwear, outwear,e.g., coats, gloves and hats, rugs, throws, pillows and car seat covers.It is an excellent insulator and yet breathes naturally. Natural woolfleece is soft, wicks moisture and provides for air circulation.

The cost associated with natural sheepskin products depends on thequality and the availability of sheepskin. Sheepskin quality variesconsiderably depending on many factors, including environmental factors.Accordingly, sheepskin is graded based on whether the sheepskin is ahigher quality, i.e., little to no imperfections in the leather, or alower quality, i.e., having many imperfections. Shearling quality andprice is also impacted by the types of sheep that the shearling comesfrom. Certain types of sheep are more desirable because they producebetter quality skins and/or softer fleece. Also, the number of thequality sheepskins available to manufacture the above products islimited by the number of sheep that are available. As demand forshearling and natural fleece products grows, the cost associatedtherewith also grows.

Accordingly, there is a need for an alternative to shearling thatreplicates the desirable qualities of sheepskin, increases supply, andreduces the associated costs.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure is directed to a sheared wool, natural fleece,deep pile fabric that closely resembles and can be used in lieu ofshearling to make a variety of products including but not limited tofootwear and apparel products. In very general terms, the present methodinvolves forming a natural wool, deep pile fabric, and then finishingthe fabric as if the fabric was natural sheepskin. Wool pile fabrics areknown, but are generally unsuitable for use in clothing and footwearbecause the wool pile is coarse, bristly and abrasive. Accordingly,prior efforts to make artificial fur and shearling products haveutilized softer artificial fibers, rather than natural wool fibers. See,e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,737,702, 3,710,462, 4,415,611 and 4,773,135 whichare incorporated herein by reference. However, these artificial fur andfleece products lack the qualities of genuine, natural wool fleece andshearling. The inventors of the present disclosure have developedfinishing processes that remarkably achieve a natural wool, deep pilefabric that very closely approximates natural wool fleece and shearling.The fabric is soft, dense and exhibits the same performancecharacteristics of natural sheepskin fleece.

In an embodiment, the present method of making a natural wool pilefabric includes providing wool slivers comprised of sheared wool fibers;knitting or weaving the wool fibers with a yarn to form a length of pilefabric having a textile scrim on one side and wool pile on the otherside, rough shearing the wool side of the fabric to a firstpredetermined length of the wool fibers, applying a polishing agent tothe wool fleece side of the web, polishing the wool fleece side bypassing the web through at least two sets of heated rollers, where eachset has at least two rollers, and fine shearing of the wool fleece sideof the web to a second predetermined length of the wool fibers.

In another embodiment, the present method of making a sheared wool, deeppile fabric that closely resembles natural sheepskin fleece includesforming a length of wool pile fabric having natural wool fibers on oneside and a scrim on an opposing side and finishing the wool pile fabricas natural shearling. The finishing process includes polishing the woolfiber side of the pile fabric by guiding the length of pile fabric overone or more heated first polishing rolls, applying a sheepskinconditioning solution to the wool fiber side of the pile fabric, furtherpolishing the wool fiber side of the pile fabric by guiding the fabric aplurality of times over one or more second heated polishing rolls, andcutting the wool fibers to a designated length.

In a further embodiment, a method of making a sheared wool pile fabricincludes combining wool fibers with a yarn to form a length of wool pilefabric having a textile scrim on one side and wool fiber pile on anopposing side. Several finishing steps are performed on the fabricincluding rough shearing the wool fiber side of the web to a firstpredetermined length of the wool fibers, applying a polishing coating tothe wool fiber side of the fabric, polishing the wool fiber side bypassing the web over at least two heated rolls and fine shearing thewool fiber side of the web to a second predetermined length of the woolfibers.

In another embodiment, the present method of making a wool fleeceproduct includes providing wool top comprised of sheared wool fibers andweaving the wool fibers with a yarn to form a semi-finished wool fleeceweb having a textile scrim on one side and wool fleece on an opposingside. Further processing steps are performed on the web including roughshearing the wool fleece side of the web to a first length of the woolfibers, polishing the wool fleece side by passing the web through afirst set of at least two rolls heated to at least 240 degrees C. andapplying a polishing coating to the wool fleece side of the web. Tofurther enhance the softness and shininess of the web, additionalprocessing steps are performed and include polishing the wool fleeceside by passing the web through a second set of at least two rollsheated to at least 235 degrees C., shearing the wool fleece side of theweb to a second wool fiber length, wherein the second wool fiber lengthis less than the first wool fiber length, polishing the wool fleece sideby passing the web through a third set of at least two rolls heated toat least 225 degrees C., further polishing the wool fleece side of theweb with at least one additional roll heated to temperature of 215degrees C., and shearing the wool fleece side of the web to a final woolfiber length, wherein the final wool fiber length is less than thesecond wool fiber length.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing basic processes for making a wool pilefabric of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a photograph of an embodiment of the wool pile fabric of thepresent invention.

FIG. 3A is a photograph of a wool side of a second embodiment of a woolpile product of the present invention.

FIG. 3B is a photograph of the other side of the second embodimentproduct.

FIG. 4 are photographs of wool fibers.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a raw material processing process.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of an initialcarding and wool fiber mixing process.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a carding andslivering machine.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a process for knitting the shearedwool fibers with a textile scrim.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view of a knitting machine

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an inspection process for inspectinga semi-finished wool pile fabric for defects and impurities.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a pre-finishing process forperforming a rough cut and straightening of the wool fibers of thesemi-finished wool pile fabric.

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a tigering machinehaving a belt-like cutting blade.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a finishing process for performingthe final conditioning and processing of the semi-finished wool pilefabric.

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a heat settingmachine for applying a stiffening solution to the scrim of thesemi-finished wool pile fabric.

FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing a post-finishing process forperforming the final processing of the finished wool pile fabric.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing the sequence of the post-finishingprocess machines.

FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a tigeringmachine used in the post-finishing process.

FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a doublepolishing roll machine used in the post-finishing process.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a polishing roll.

FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a polishingcoating machine used in the post-finishing process.

FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a polishingshearing machine used in the post-finishing process.

FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a singlepolishing roller machine used in the post-finishing process.

FIG. 23 is an exploded view of the finished wool pile fabric product ofFIG. 3.

FIG. 24 is an exploded view of a finished wool pile fabric productincluding an intermediate layer.

FIG. 25 is a cross-section view of a finished wool pile fabric productincluding the fibers mixed with the wool and non-wool fibers.

FIG. 26 is a cross-section view of a wool pile fabric embodimentincluding sections with wool fibers and at least one section with nowool fibers.

FIG. 27 is a cross-section view of the finished wool pile fabricembodiment including wool fibers having different lengths.

FIG. 28 is a block diagram showing the shipping process for the finishedwool pile fabric product.

FIG. 29 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of a shippingcontainer for shipping a roll of wool pile fabric.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments of the invention are described below by way ofexample only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawingsinclude schematic figures that may not be to scale, which will be fullyunderstood by skilled artisans with reference to the accompanyingdescription. Features may be exaggerated for purposes of illustration.From the preferred embodiments, artisans will recognize additionalfeatures and broader aspects of the invention.

The present disclosure is directed to a method of processing shearedwool, securing it to a textile scrim, and finishing the same to make asheared wool, natural fleece, deep pile fabric that can be used in lieuof shearling in making footwear, apparel and other products. The woolpile fabric formed by the process of the present invention closelyapproximates shearling and can be used in lieu of shearling in manyapplications. In one application, the wool pile fabric is used to makeartificial shearling for use as a liner for footwear, coats, gloves andother products in lieu of natural shearling.

Referring to FIGS. 1-31, the present method for making the wool pilefabric includes the following processes: a raw material finishingprocess 100, a knitting process 200, an inspection process 300, apre-finishing process 400, a finishing process 500, a post-finishingprocess 600 and a storage/shipping process 700 for producing the woolpile fabric 102. Examples of the finished wool pile fabric 102 are shownin FIGS. 2 and 3.

In the raw material finishing process 100 illustrated in FIG. 5, naturalwool is sheared from live sheep or from sheepskins or pelts in ashearing step 103 to provide wool fibers 104. The wool fibers 104 arethe natural fibers from sheep that comprise wool used in manufacturingthe wool pile fabric 102. Initially, the wool fibers are cleaned in awashing step 105 to remove impurities such as oils from the sheep'sskin, dirt and odor. Specifically, the wool fibers 104 are placed in acleaning machine that washes the wool fibers using water and suitablecleaning solutions. After being cleaned, the wool fibers 104 (FIG. 4)are ready for further processing as described below. Alternatively,cleaned wool fibers 104 can be stored in one or more suitablecontainers, such as a sealed bag or bags, for immediate processing,storage or shipment to another location for processing at a later time.

As shown in FIG. 5, the cleaned wool fibers 104 are dyed and dried 107to change the color of the wool fibers from a non-uniform mix of gray,white and brown colors to a uniform off-white or parchment color that iscommon in natural fleece products. It should be appreciated that thewool fibers 104 may be dyed to any desired color or combination ofcolors, including but not limited to, a natural fleece color, blue,gray, white, pink and purple. In the dyeing process, a designated amountof the cleaned wool fibers 104 is placed in a dye vat based on the vatsize. Specifically, 400-430 kg of the wool fibers and 3.5-4.0 tons ofwater (at about 68 to 72° C. for lighter color dyes and about 78 to 82°C. for darker color dyes) are added to the dye vat to fully load the vatand soak the wool fibers. The vat is sealed and the wool fibers 104 aresoaked for a designated period of time. The water is then drained fromthe vat and hot water is supplied to the vat based on the amount of thewool fibers placed in the vat. The water in the vat is then heated to adesignated temperature, which in this embodiment is about 70° C. Whilethe water is being heated, a designated amount of ammonia and asoftening agent proportional to the amount of water in the dye tank aremixed in a separate stirring tank and a designated amount of water isextracted to melt the dye as described below. In the present method, aratio of approximately 10 kg of ammonia and 4 kg of the softening agentare mixed with 250 L of water. When the water in the dye vat reaches thedesignated temperature, the mixture of ammonia and the softening agentare supplied to the vat via an inlet line connected to a suitable pump.

The wool fibers 104 soak in the mixture of water, ammonia and softeningagent for at least thirty minutes before the dye is added. During thesoaking period, the extracted water is heated to 100° C. and mixed withthe dye to melt the dye. After the thirty minute soaking period, a dyeof a selected color, such as natural fleece is added to the vat via aninlet line connected to a pump. The dye mixture and the wool fibers inthe vat are agitated for about ninety minutes and then a formic acidsolution is added to the vat via the inlet line and pump. Initially, 3kg of the formic acid solution is added to the vat. After fifteenminutes, an additional 3 kg of the formic acid solution is added to thevat to achieve a ratio of 1:8 formic acid solution to water and themixture is further agitated for a designated amount of time.

When the dyeing of the wool fibers 104 is completed, the mixing solutionis drained from the vat leaving the dyed wool fibers. The vat is thenfilled with a washing solution including a mixture of water, formic acidand softening agent for washing the fibers. In this embodiment,approximately 2 kg of formic acid and 10 kg of softening agent are addedfor every 400 kg of the wool fibers in the vat. After washing the woolfibers in the vat, the washing solution is drained and the dyed woolfibers 104 are removed from the vat and inserted into a dehydrator. Thedehydrator includes a tank having a screen-type bowl rotatably connectedto the tank. The bowl operates similar to a spin cycle of a washingmachine where the bowl rotates the wool fibers at a designated number ofrevolutions per minute (rpm) to remove excess water from the woolfibers. The excess water exits the dehydrator via a drain line attachedto the tank. The dehydrated wool fibers are then transported to one ormore dryers to dry the wool fibers 104. In the present embodiment, eachdryer includes a first stage having three ovens set at an operatingtemperature of 130° C., a second stage having two ovens set at anoperating temperature of at least 130° C. and a third stage having acooler oven set at a lower operating temperature that the other ovens tocool the wool fibers. The dried wool fibers exit the dryer or dyers andare wrapped in a bundle by a fabric material using one or more balingmachines. Each bundle of the wool fibers 104 weighs approximately 50 kg.It should be appreciated that a colorfast treatment solution may beapplied to the wool fibers 104 after being dyed to help preserve ormaintain the dyed color. It should also be appreciated that otherequipment and processes can alternatively be used for dying the woolfiber consistent with this disclosure.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, after the dyeing and drying step 107,the wool fibers 104 are conditioned 109 in which a carding-applicatormachine 124 untangles and aligns the wool fibers 104. A conditioningsolution is applied including a lubricant and an anti-static agent tothe fibers. The wool fibers 104 are subsequently mixed together in twomixers or mixing machines 130 and 134 connected in series to evenlydistribute the conditioning solution on the wool fibers. Theconditioning solution enables the wool fibers 104 to be easily separatedand used in subsequent processing steps.

Initially, as described above, a designated batch or batches of the woolfibers 104 are received following the dyeing process 107 (FIG. 5). Thebatch size or weight of each batch is based on production parameters(i.e., the length, width and thickness of the finished wool pile fabric102) and wool blend needed to produce the wool pile fabric. Each batchof wool fibers 104 is unwrapped or opened and placed on a metal pan orother suitable surface near an inlet side 123 of the carding-applicatormachine 124. The wool fibers 104 are then manually placed onto an inletconveyor belt on a first or inlet side of the carding-applicator machine124 which moves wool fibers 104 toward a pivoting carding arm havingmetal teeth. The carding arm reciprocates between a non-engaged positionand an engaged, carding position in which the carding arm, and morespecifically, the teeth on the carding arm contact the wool fibers in agenerally parallel direction to the movement of the wool fibers tountangle, clean, intermix and align the wool fibers so that theconditioning solution is applied to a significant percentage of the woolfibers prior to entering the first mixing machine.

The conditioning solution is applied with a sprayer assembly 126, whichis connected to an outlet side 125 of carding-applicator machine 124.Sprayer assembly 126 preferably includes five sprayers connected to asupply line, which in turn, is connected via suitable tubing to one ormore containers including conditioning solution. A valve is connected toan inlet to the supply line to control the flow rate of the conditioningsolution to the supply line. After being carded, wool fibers 104 aretransported under the sprayers of sprayer assembly 126 via an outletconveyor belt. The sprayers uniformly apply the conditioning solution towool fibers 104 as the fibers move underneath the sprayers.

After the conditioning solution is applied to the fibers, the coatedwool fibers 104 are transported to a first hopper 128 associated withthe first mixing machine by suitable tubing or piping having an in lineblower 127 which generates a vacuum in the tubing attached betweenblower 127 and the outlet side 125 of carding-applicator machine 124 tosuction wool fibers 104 into the tubing and forcefully blows air throughtubing attached between blower 127 and the first hopper 128 to transportthe coated wool fibers to the first hopper.

In the present embodiment, the mixing solution includes twenty percent(20%) mineral oil (lubricant), twenty percent (20%) of anti-static agentand sixty percent (60%) water. Other mixing solutions are contemplatedand can be use in lieu of this embodiment. Preferably, about 5 kg of themixing solution is applied to 100 kg of the wool fibers. The ratio ofthe mixing solution applied to the wool fibers may be adjusted asneeded.

The coated wool fibers 104 in the first hopper 128 are gravity fed tofirst mixing machine 130. More specifically, first mixing machine 130includes a rotating drum that receives coated wool fibers 104 from firsthopper 128 and rotates at a designated rate to ensure that the woolfibers are evenly coated with the conditioning solution. The firstmixing machine 130 operates for a designated period of time based onprior mixing times for mixing coated wool fibers 104. After the mixingis finished in first mixing machine 130, the wool fibers 104 aretransported to a second mixing machine 134 via tubing connected betweena second hopper 132 associated with the second mixing machine and anoutlet of first mixing machine 130. A second blower 129 is connected inline with the tubing to generate a vacuum in the tubing between secondblower 129 and the outlet of first mixing machine 130 and forcefullyblows air through the tubing connected between second hopper 132 and thesecond blower to transport the coated wool fibers from first mixingmachine 130 to second hopper 132 as described above.

The second hopper 132 gravity feeds coated wool fibers 104 into secondmixing machine 134, and more specifically, into a rotating second drumof the second mixing machine to further mix the coated wool fibers.Second mixing machine 134 operates for a designated period of time tofurther distribute the conditioning solution on wool fibers 104. In thepresent method, the first and second mixing machines 130, 134 aresubstantially the same mixing machines. It should be appreciated thatone or a plurality of mixing machines may be connected in series to mixthe coated wool fibers. It should also be appreciated that the mixingmachines 130, 134 may be the same or different mixing machines.

After the mixing process is finished, the wool fibers 104 aretransported to one of a plurality of storage areas or storage rooms 136via tubes connected to an inline blower 131 (FIG. 6). More specifically,a first end of each tube is connected to and extends partially through atop wall of a different one of the storage rooms 136 and an opposingsecond end of each tube is connected to blower 131. The blower 131generates a vacuum at the outlet of the second mixing machine 132 tosuction the wool fibers 104 from the outlet of the second mixing machineand toward an inlet of the blower 131. The wool fibers 104 pass throughblower 131 and into one or more of the tubes connected to an outlet ofthe blower. One or more of the outlet tubes may be closed by adjustablebaffles positioned inside of and movably connected to each of the tubesso that one or more of the tubes may be closed during operation tocontrol the movement of wool fibers 104 through the tubes and into oneor more of the storage areas/storage rooms 136. As shown in storage step113, the wool fibers 104 remain in one or more of the storage areas 136for at least twenty-four hours to allow the conditioning solution to dryand set on the wool fibers. It should be appreciated that the storagetime may be adjusted to longer or shorter periods depending on the batchsize and amount of the mixing solution applied to the fibers. Forexample, smaller batch sizes require less storage time for the solutionto dry and set.

Next, wool fibers 104 are carded 113 and slivered 115 for furtherprocessing. As stated above, carding is a process that untangles andaligns the wool fibers to be generally parallel to each other in a flatsheet called a web. The web is then formed into narrow ropes known asslivers as further described below. The carding step 113 also removesany residual dirt and other foreign material and matter remaining on thewool fibers 104.

The carding and slivering process described above may be performed byone or more machines that untangle and align fibers and form the fibersinto slivers. In the present embodiment, a combined carding andslivering machine 138 (hereinafter referred to as a “CS machine”) isused to perform the above steps. It should be appreciated that one or aplurality of the CS machines 138 may be utilized in the present method.After the wool fibers 104 are stored in one or more of the storage rooms136 for at least twenty-four hours (or a lesser time for smaller amountsof the wool fibers), wool fibers 104 are manually fed into one or moreof the CS machines 138. In a carding portion of each of the CS machines138, an inlet 140 of each CS machine includes an inlet conveyor belt 142that moves or transports wool fibers 104 toward a pivoting carding arm144 having a series of metal teeth 146 similar to the carding armdiscussed above. Each of the carding arms 144 reciprocate between anon-engaged position and an engaged, carding position in which thecarding arm, and more specifically, the teeth 146 on the carding armcontact the wool fibers 104 and untangle, clean, intermix and align thewool fibers.

After passing the pivoting carding arm 144 in each of the CS machines138, the carded wool fibers 104 fall off of the end of the inletconveyor 142 and into an internal hopper 148, which gravity feeds thewool fibers 104 toward an elongated, horizontal opening 147 at thebottom of the internal hopper. A hopper conveyor belt 149 positioned atthe bottom of the internal hopper 148 extends between the bottom of theinternal hopper, through the hopper opening 147 and to a first cardingroller 150 a of a series of carding rollers 150 a to 150 g. A packingroller 152 is movably connected to each of the CS machines 138 adjacentto the internal hopper opening 147 as shown in FIG. 7 and rotatescounterclockwise to pack the wool fibers 104 together and form acontinuous wool fiber web. The web moves through the series of cardingrollers 150 a to 150 g. Each of the carding rollers 150 is covered by acarding material including a plurality of teeth that comb or rake thefibers in the web to further untangle (i.e., break up clumps and knotsin the wool fibers) and align the fibers as well as remove any remainingdebris that may reside in the fiber web. The carding material ispreferably made from a sturdy flexible scrim in which the teeth areclosely spaced and embedded in the scrim. It should be appreciated thateach CS machine 138 may include one or more carding rollers 150 and thecarding rollers may have the same or a different number of teeth.Preferably, the teeth on each of the carding rollers 150 are made ofmetal but may be made out of other suitable materials or combination ofmaterials.

The continuous wool fiber web exits from the series of carding rollers150 and enters a slivering portion 154 of the CS machine. In sliveringportion 154, the wool fiber web moves between two converging walls 156that direct the web into a slivering mechanism 158. Each of theslivering mechanisms 158 form the web into continuous strands or“slivers” 160 of the wool fibers 104 for subsequent knitting of the woolfibers as described below. Hereinafter, the terms “sliver” or “woolsliver” refers to a tubular material formed predominately from the woolfibers 104 but may also include other natural or artificial fibers. Inthis embodiment, the slivers have a weight of 17 g/m. It should beappreciated that the weight of the slivers 160 is preferably in therange of about 16.5 to 17.5 g/m, but other suitable weights arecontemplated.

After exiting the slivering mechanism 158, the wool fiber slivers 160are directed into a container or canister 162 in packing step 117. Eachof the containers 162 is lined with a packing bag 164 made of nylon orother suitable material. The containers 164 are placed in one of aplurality of container positions or slots in a packing area in theslivering portion 154 and separated by arms where the arms are rotatablyconnected to the CS machine 138. When a container 162, and morespecifically, the bag 164 inside the container is completely filled witha continuous wool fiber sliver 160, the sliver is manually cut and thearms are rotated either manually or automatically, to move the filledcontainer away from the slivering mechanism 158 and simultaneously movean empty container 162 into position to be filled by the next continuouswool fiber web. The arms also help to hold the containers in positionrelative to the slivering mechanism 158 during operation.

As stated above, when a container 162 is filled with a wool fiber sliver160, the container is moved away from the slivering mechanism 158 andremoved from the CS machine 138. Next, the packing bag 164 is removedfrom the container 162 and sealed by a drawstring attached to a top endof the packing bag or other suitable sealing device. Each of the filledpacking bags 164 is weighed and the weight and other pertinentinformation, such as the type and density of the wool blend of thesliver 160, is attached to or associated with the bag and recorded in astorage medium of a suitable processor such as a computer. Each packingbag 164 is then transferred to a storage area for subsequent processing.The empty containers 162 are each re-wrapped or re-lined with a new orempty packing bag 164 and moved back to a container position in thepacking area of one or more of the CS machines 138.

The wool fiber slivers 160 are now secured to a base material, such as atextile scrim 106, in a fabric forming process 200, such as knitting. Itshould be appreciated that the term “scrim” used hereinafter refers toan underlying backing, framework or structure, including but not limitedto, textiles. Furthermore, the terms “fabric” and “textile” as usedherein refer to any type of cloth produced by knitting, weaving ornon-woven textile processes. Although various fabric forming processescan be used consistent with this disclosure, knitting is a preferredprocess as described below.

In the knitting process 200, a scrim material, such as a polyester yarn,is simultaneously knitted with the wool fibers 104 from the wool fiberslivers 160 to create a durable, single jersey, circular knit pilefabric 166. Other types of scrim yarn can be used, including bothnatural fiber yarns, e.g., cotton, as well as synthetics, such aspolyester.

Referring now to FIGS. 8 and 9, a knitting machine 212 includes a frame214 and a plurality of knitting heads or knitting feed devices 216mounted to the frame for knitting wool fibers 104 of wool fiber slivers160 with the polyester yarn to form a tubular knit semi-finished fabric218. Initially, a calibration step 202 is performed where the tensionand pattern for polyester yarn 220 and the sliver feeds of the knittingfeed devices 216 are calibrated to ensure that the knitting machine 212is within designated parameters and tolerances for knitting a particularfabric product. In an embodiment, the knitting devices 216 arecalibrated to knit at a designated speed and a density of 2450 to 2550g/linear meter. It should be appreciated that the knitting devices 216of each knitting machine 212 may be calibrated to operate at othersuitable speeds and densities.

The present method utilizes a plurality of knitting machines 212 whereeach of the knitting machines has a plurality knitting feed devices 216.It should be appreciated that the present method may employ one or aplurality of knitting machines 212 each having a suitable number of feeddevices 216. Each feed device 216 of the knitting machines 212 ispreferably configured to receive one of the wool fiber slivers 160 andtwo strands yarn 220 supplied by respective yarn spools 224 loaded onL-shaped support arms 226 connected to and extending from the frame 214in loading step 204. It should be appreciated that the number of yarnspools 224 loaded on the machine depends on the size of the wool pilefabric 102. Specifically, the wool fiber slivers 160 are moved adjacentto and fed into the knitting feed devices 216 on each of the knittingmachines 212 in the loading step 206. After both the yarn spool(s) 224and the wool fiber sliver(s) 160 are loaded and fed into the knittingdevices 216 and the yarn strands 220 are fed into corresponding yarnfeeding devices 221, each of the knitting machines 212 is activated,i.e., turned “on,” to start the knitting process.

During the knitting process 200, the strands forming the scrim 106 andthe wool fibers 104 from the slivers 160 are simultaneously knittogether in the knitting step 208 to produce a tubular knit pile fabric218, hereinafter referred to as a “semi-finished pile fabric.” To ensurethe that wool fibers 104 are in proper position relative to the strands220 to be knitted together by each of the knitting feed devices 216, afiber blower 222 is associated with each of the knitting feed devices216 and generates a stream of air directed at the wool fibers 104. Theair stream from each fiber blower 222 also causes the wool fibers 104 inthe semi-finished pile fabric 218 to be angled in a direction away fromthe blowers, which will be relevant in subsequent processing stepsdescribed in more detail below. It should be appreciated that scrim 106may be made with any suitable material or combination of materials andis typically made with a fabric material. It should also be appreciatedthat other suitable yarning process, knitting process, weaving processor attachment process may be used to attach the wool fibers 104 to thescrim 106.

In the knitting process 200, the semi-finished pile fabric 218 isknitted until it reaches a designated length. At which time thesemi-finished pile fabric 218 is inserted between a pair of support bars228 that are rotatably connected to the frame 214 of the knittingmachine 212. Specifically, the support bars 228 are connected at one endto a fixed mount 230 and at an opposing end to a motor (not shown) wherethe tension of the support bars is adjusted by manually turning a handle232 connected to the fixed mount. The motor includes at least one driveroller that is rotated by the motor and contacts an inner surface of theknitting machine 212. The drive roller is preferably made of a suitabletraction material, such as rubber, for gripping and rolling on the innersurface for rotating the support bars 228. The rotation of the supportbars 228 similarly rotates so that the semi-finished pile fabric 218 isknit as a continuous tube as shown in FIG. 9.

In a cutting step 210, a knife or cutting blade 234 is fixedlypositioned beneath the knitting feed devices 216 parallel to and incontact with the semi-finished tubular pile fabric 218 such that thecutting blade longitudinally cuts the semi-finished pile fabric as thefabric is being knit by the knitting feed devices 216. The knittingprocess 200 continues until the semi-finished pile fabric 218 reaches adesignated length, which in the present embodiment, is a length of about13 to 14 meters. Specifically, each knitting machine 216 includes acontrol panel and a display device in communication with the controlpanel. The designated length of the semi-finished pile fabric 218 isbased on the number of revolutions of the support arms (or thesemi-finished pile fabric). In the present method, the number ofrevolutions of the support arms is set at approximately 1500 revolutionsto achieve a desired length of the semi-finished pile fabric of 13 to 14meters. It should be appreciated that the semi-finished pile fabric 218may be formed in other suitable lengths and that the number ofrevolutions of the support arms 228 may be set at another suitablenumber of revolutions to achieve a desired length of the semi-finishedpile fabric 218. In the present method, the knitting machine 212 may beprogrammed to stop operation when the desired number of revolutions ofthe support arms 228 is reached. Alternatively, an operator watches adisplay device associated with the knitting machine 212 and stopsoperation of the knitting machine upon reaching the desired number ofrevolutions of the support arms 228. When the knitting process isfinished, i.e., the designated number of revolutions of the support arms228 is reached, the operator manually cuts the semi-finished pile fabric218 transverse to the longitudinal axis of the product to separate thefabric from the knitting machine 212. The semi-finished pile fabric 218is then manually pulled through an opening at the bottom of the knittingmachine 212 to remove fabric 218 for subsequent processing.Alternatively, the knitting machine 212 is positioned on an elevatedstructure or floor such that the semi-finished pile fabric may beretrieved by an operator from below the knitting machine. In the presentmethod, the above steps are performed multiple times by one or moreknitting machines to produce a plurality of semi-finished pile fabricspieces 218.

The knitting machine 212 also includes a suction vent 236 positioned ona side of the knitted fibers opposite to the knitting feed devices 216.Suction vent 236 is attached to an exhaust tube 238 having an in lineblower that generates a vacuum or suction in the exhaust tube forremoving any loose debris and fibers resulting from the knittingprocess. Exhaust tubes 238 from each of the knitting machines 212 aredirected to a main exhaust duct (not shown) extending outside of thebuilding containing the knitting machines.

Referring now to FIG. 10, the semi-finished pile fabric 218 is inspectedin an inspection process 300 to verify the dimensions of thesemi-finished pile fabric and to check for any irregularities, defectsand deformities. Specifically, in an initial inspection step 302, afirst one of the semi-finished pile fabrics 218 or “greiges” is loadedinto an inspection machine to check the dimensions of the semi-finishedpile fabric. Preferably, the present method utilizes two inspectionmachines to inspect the semi-finished pile fabric 218. It should beappreciated that any suitable number of the inspection machines may beused to inspect the semi-finished pile fabric.

In the present method, an end of the initial piece or sheet of thesemi-finished pile fabric 218 is inserted or fed into the inspectionmachine so the wool fibers 104 on the semi-finished pile fabric areangled toward the machine. As stated above, the fiber blowers 222 (FIG.8) associated with each of the knitting feed devices 216 direct airagainst the wool fibers 104 so that a majority of the wool fibers extendor are angled in the same direction when the knitting process 200 isfinished. The operator feeds the end of the semi-finished pile fabric218 into the inspection machine so that the wool fibers 104 are angledtoward the inspection machine. This end is inserted first into theinspection machine and is marked with a suitable identifier such as aletter, number or other symbol, to indicate that it is the initial offirst end of the semi-finished pile fabric sheet.

In a marking step 306, the scrim 106 near the first end or feed end ismarked with the letter “A” and the scrim 106 located near the opposingend or non-feed end is marked with the letter “B.” It should beappreciated that other suitable symbols may be used to mark the ends ofthe semi-finished pile fabric. The positioning of the semi-finished pilefabric and the marking of the ends of the fabric are relevant insubsequent processing steps as described below.

The inspection machine includes a series of rollers in communicationwith a digital display. A sheet or length of the semi-finished pilefabric 218 is attached to and fed through the rollers of the inspectionmachine which measures the width and length of the product.Alternatively, the dimensions of the semi-finished pile fabric 218 aremanually measured. If the semi-finished pile fabric 218 is not withinpre-determined tolerances for the length and width, the product isrejected. Additionally, while the semi-finished pile fabric 218 is beingfed through the inspection machine, an operator checks the scrim 106 formissed stitches, holes or other defects. If a defect is detected, theoperator stops the inspection machine and manually repairs the defectusing a needle and thread or other suitable repairing tools in arepairing step 304. The defects may also be automatically repaired byone or more repairing machines. The operator may also check otherparameters of the semi-finished pile fabric 218 including, but notlimited to, the density and softness of the product. If no defects arefound by the operator and the semi-finished pile fabric has thedesignated length and width, the fabric is transferred to a storage area(step 308), such as a warehouse or storage room, for further processing.

Referring now to FIG. 11, in a pre-finishing process 400, two or morepieces or sheets of the semi-finished pile fabric 218 (FIG. 9) areattached, i.e., stitched, together end-to-end in an attachment step 402by an overlock stitching machine to combine the semi-finished pilefabric sheets based on a designated overall length of the wool pilefabric 102 needed for a particular application. As stated above, thewool fibers 104 of each of the pieces of the semi-finished pile fabric218 are generally angled in a single direction. Thus, the pieces of thesemi-finished pile fabric are attached together so the wool fibers 104of each of the pieces all extend or are angled in the same direction,i.e., the ends marked with an “A” of one semi-finished pile fabric pieceis attached to the ends marked with a “B” of the preceding fabric piece.The directional alignment of the wool fibers 104 on the connectedsemi-finished pile fabric sheets is relevant in the shearing processesdescribed below.

Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, the combined semi-finished pile fabric 218now goes through a rough shearing or cutting step 406 to begin theprocess of shearing the wool fibers 104 to a final designated length.Specifically, a tigering machine 410 is used in the present method. Itshould be appreciated that any one or more tigering machines 410 may beused to perform the rough shearing of the combined semi-finished pilefabric 218. In this process, the assembled length of semi-finished pilefabric is temporarily attached (stitched) to a guide cloth (step 404) bythe overlock stitching machine. The guide cloth can be a waste piece ofpile fabric that didn't pass the inspection process or another textilepiece. The guide cloth is initially fed through the tigering machine 410to adjust the tension of the rollers and other parameters of the processbefore the semi-finished pile fabric 218 is fed through the tigeringmachine. Using a guide cloth avoids unnecessary damage to thesemi-finished pile fabric 218, prevents waste and thereby reducesmaterial costs.

A series of rollers 412 and a frame portion 413 in each tigering machine410 guide the length of semi-finished pile fabric 218 through a rotatingbelt-type metal cutting blade 414 that is positioned transverse to thelongitudinal axis of the length of semi-finished pile fabric 218. Therotating cutting blade 414 is configured as a rotating belt that loopsaround the semi-finished pile fabric and is driven in a clockwise orcounterclockwise direction by a suitable motor. An edge of the blade 414includes a plurality of teeth 416 that are positioned adjacent to thesemi-finished pile fabric 218 for shearing the wool fibers.Specifically, the cutting blade 414 cuts the wool fibers 104 to adesignated rough length in a rough shearing/cutting step 406. The roughlength is longer than the designated or desired final length of the woolfibers 104 in the wool pile fabric 102. It should be appreciated thatthe position of the cutting blade 414 relative to the wool fibers 104 ofthe semi-finished pile fabric 218 may be manually adjusted to controlthe rough length of the wool fibers. The tigering machine also includesan exhaust duct 418 that suctions and removes fibers and other airborneparticles during the cutting operation. After the rough shearing/cuttingstep 406 is completed, the guide cloth is split or removed from the endof the combined semi-finished pile fabric (step 408) and the product iseither stored or transported to a finishing area for performing thefinishing process 500.

The combined semi-finished pile fabric has a relatively smooth back side108 and an opposing fleece or wool fiber side 110 having wool fibers 104that replicate natural sheepskin. At this stage the wool is rough andbristly. To prepare the semi-finished pile fabric 218 for end productmanufacturing such as footwear, the fabric goes through the finishingprocess 500.

Referring now to FIGS. 13 and 14, in the finishing process 500, thesemi-finished pile fabric 218 is heated and stretched to a designatedfinal width by one or more machines. In this embodiment, thesemi-finished pile fabric 218 is passed through a heat setting machine522 for stretching the semi-finished pile fabric 218 to the designatedor desired width. As shown in FIG. 14, the heat setting machine 522includes a series of rollers 524 and a frame portion 525 to guide andmove the semi-finished pile fabric 218 adjacent to a coating applicator,i.e., roll 526, that applies a back side coating or stiffening solution528 including a stiffening agent to the scrim 106 and then conveys thefabric through multiple ovens 530 for curing or setting the coating. Inone embodiment, the heat setting machine includes series of eight ovens.It should be appreciated that another suitable number of ovens may beused to dry and set the conditioning solution on the scrim 106.

Initially in a pre-heating step 502, the heat setting machine 522 isactivated and a plurality of the ovens 530 a are pre-heated to apredetermined preferred temperature of 140° C. and one or more ovens 530b following the ovens 530 a are pre-heated to a predetermined preferredtemperature of 114° C. It should be appreciated that the temperature ofovens 530 a can be in the range of about 134° to 143° C. and that thetemperature of each oven or ovens 530 b can be in the range of about110° to 118° C. It should also be appreciated that other suitabletemperatures can be used depending on operating and ambient conditionsprovided that the temperature is not so hot so as to damage thesemi-finished pile fabric 218. In this embodiment, the ovens 530 areheated by steam.

When the ovens 530 reach the respective predetermined temperatures, aguide cloth is temporally attached to the semi-finished pile fabric 218(step 504) by an overlock stitching machine or other suitable stitchingmachine as described above and then fed into the heat setting machine522 (step 506). The guide cloth enables the operator to adjust theroller tension and the oven temperatures of the heat setting machinebefore the semi-finished pile fabric 218 is fed through the machine toprevent unnecessary damage to and waste of the semi-finished pilefabric. In coating step 508, at least one applicator roll 526 applies astiffening solution or agent 528 to the scrim 106 of the semi-finishedwool product, as the semi-finished pile fabric 218 is fed into the heatsetting machine 522. As shown in FIG. 14, a trough 532 holds a bath ofstiffening solution 528. Applicator roll 526 is positioned at leastpartially in the trough. Roll 526 rotates within trough 532 andstiffening solution 528 adheres to the outer surface of the roll. Roll526 contacts the scrim 106 of the semi-finished pile fabric 218 to applythe stiffening solution to the scrim. The stiffening solution 528 fixesthe knit structure of the scrim, helps bond the wool fibers within thescrim, and reduces the stretchability of the scrim 106 and thereby thestretchability of the semi-finished pile fabric 218. In an embodiment,the stiffening solution 528 includes an impermeable stiffener (30%), apermeable stiffener (50%) and a polyacrylic emulsion (20%). It should beappreciated that the relative quantities of component ingredients may beadjusted depending on operating conditions. Also other agents may beadded to the solution, and alternative stiffing solutions as known inthe art as later developed can be used.

After the stiffening solution 528 is applied, the semi-finished pilefabric is stretched 510, preferably using at least one and morepreferably two metal rollers 534, each having a helical protrusion andgroove. Steam is applied to the semi-finished pile fabric 218 whilestretching the product lengthwise, which narrows the width of theproduct from an initial width of about 1.9 m to a width in the range of1.3 to 1.4 m (step 512). In this embodiment, the semi-finished pilefabric is fed through the heated rollers (heated to a temperature ofabout 130° C.) at a speed of about 8 m/min. The speed and temperature ofthe heated rollers 534 may be adjusted as necessary to achieve a desiredproduct width. An opposing series of rotating pins at least partiallypenetrate the edges of the fabric, simultaneously stretching the widthof the fabric while guiding the fabric through the ovens 530 to achievea final width of 1.50 to 1.55 m.

After exiting the heat setting machine 522, the width of the wool pilefabric 102 is measured as a final check in step 516. If the width is notwithin acceptable tolerance limits, the finished product is re-fed intothe heat setting machine 522 (step 506) a second time and steps 508, 510and 512 are repeated to further stretch the finished product to thedesired final width. It should be appreciated that the semi-finishedpile fabric 218 may be coated with the stiffening solution and passedthrough the heat setting machine one or a plurality of times to achievea finished product having the designated final width. When the finishedproduct 102 is at the designated final width, the guide cloth is removed(step 518) and the finished product is either stored for futureprocessing (step 520) or transported to the post-finishing process 600.

At this stage, the wool fiber side of pile fabric 102 is coarse andbristly, and generally unsuitable for use in many products includingfootwear and apparel where the wool fibers will come into contact with awearer's skin. In the present method, the wool pile fabric is finishedin an unconventional manner that is conceptually more similar to naturalsheepskin finishing processes as contrasted with conventional textilefinishing processes. Heretofore, natural sheepskin finishing processeshave not been used on pile fabrics or other textiles. However, unlikenatural sheepskin finishing processes, where individual skins arefinished one at a time, automated, continuous web processing machineryand equipment have been developed to finish the length of pile fabric ina high speed, efficient manner. After the finishing process the woolpile fabric is soft to the touch and closely resembles natural shearlingfleece in feel and appearance.

Referring now to FIG. 16, in the post-finishing process 600, the woolpile fabric 102 is fed through a sequence of post-finishing machinesincluding one or more tigering machines, two double polishing rollstations, a coater station, a double polishing roll station, a combinedpolishing-shearing station, a double polishing roll station, a singlepolishing roll station and a polishing-shearing. The post-finishingprocess 600 softens and polishes (shines) the wool fibers 104 toreplicate the feel and appearance of natural fleece.

Referring now to FIGS. 15-22, initially, the pile fabric 102 istemporarily attached to a guide cloth (step 602) as described above andfed through a cutting station including one or more tigering machines orother suitable cutting/shearing machines. In this embodiment, the fabric102 is fed through a tigering machines 626 (step 604). As shown in FIG.17, tigering machine 626 includes a series of fixed guides 628 (which inthis embodiment are stationary, smooth steel cylinders), guide rollers630, a fixed guide 631 and a frame portion 633 that guides and conveysfabric 102 through the tigering machine. At least one of the guides 628is attached to a guide arm 632 that is pivotally connected to themachine frame for laterally adjusting the fabric run. It should beappreciated that the guide rollers may be cylindrical rollers, arotating belt driven by two or more rollers or any suitable moving orrotating guide. It should also be noted that the wool fibers 104 areattached to the entire surface of the fabric 102 even though the figuresonly show portions of the fabric having the wool fibers. In the figures,the wool fibers 104 have been added to portions of the fabric 102 toidentify the wool fiber and the scrim sides of the fabric while allowingthe path of the fabric through the machines to be easily followed.

As shown in FIG. 17, fabric 102 and more specifically, the wool fiber104 side of the fabric is guided into contact with a cutting roll 634 byguide 631 where the cutting roll preferably operates at 800-900 rpm. Acutting blade 636 is positioned next to the cutting roll that furthershears or trims the wool fibers 104 to an intermediate length ofapproximately 18 mm in cutting step 606. It should be noted that theshearing steps in the post-finishing process 600 each perform a fineshearing of the wool fibers 104 to ultimately achieve a desired finalwool fiber length, which in this embodiment is 17-18 mm. Also, it shouldbe appreciated that the wool fibers 104 may be trimmed to other desiredintermediate length or lengths, examples of which are discussed below inreference to FIGS. 27 and 29. Also, the number of wool fibers 104 in aparticular area of the wool pile fabric, i.e., the fiber density, may beuniform or may vary longitudinally or transversely of the fabric.

After exiting the tigering machine 626, the wool pile fabric 102 goesthrough multiple polishing steps to soften, comb and enhance the lusterof the wool fibers 104. The polishing steps are performed by one or moremachines. In the present embodiment, the wool pile fabric 102 is fedthrough a plurality of double polishing roll stations 638 a and 638 b.FIG. 18 illustrates one double polishing roll station 638. The otherdouble polishing roll stations have substantially the sameconfiguration. Alternatively, the length of fabric can be fed though asingle polishing roll station 638 two or more times. The doublepolishing roll station 638 includes a series of stationary guides 640, apivoting guide 641 for aligning the fabric 102, guide rollers 642 and aframe portion 643 that guide and convey the wool pile fabric 102 andmore specifically, the wool fiber side 110 of the finished fabric 102against two independent, heated polishing rolls 644 and 645. In thisembodiment, each roll operates at about 840 rpm. First roll 644 rotatesin a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the length offabric, while second roll 645 rotates in the same direction of travel asthe fabric. The rolls rake the wool pile side of the fabric to removecrimps from the ends of the wool fibers 104 and frictionally engage andthereby initially polish and comb the wool fibers 104. The differentdirection of rotation of the rolls helps avoid a directional lay of thewool fibers. In the present embodiment, the feed rate of the wool pilefabric 102 through each of the first two double polishing rollermachines is about 6.0-8.0 m/min and the temperature of the firstpolishing roll 644 is about 250° C. and the second polishing roll 645 isslightly cooler at about 240° C. Because the first roll heats the woolpile, the temperature of the wool pile fabric entering the second rollis somewhat warmer than entering the first roll. It should beappreciated that the polishing rolls 644 and 645 may be set at atemperature sufficient to polish the wool fibers 104 of the pile fabric102 but not so hot as to damage the fibers.

Referring now to FIG. 19, in order to effectively polish the wool fibers104 of the pile fabric 102, each of the polishing rolls 644, 645 includea plurality of pairs of segmented blades 646 where the blades in eachpair are positioned on opposing sides of the roll. The segmented blades646 each include a multiplicity of diamond-shaped protrusions or teeth648 (see the enlarged inset of the protrusions) that extend at least 5mm outwardly from the outer roll surface 650. It should be appreciatedthat the protrusions 648 may have other suitable shapes and may extendat any suitable distance from the roll surface 650. The protrusions 648of the blades 646 contact, and more specifically, at least partiallycomb or rake the wool fibers 104 and in combination with the heatedouter surface 650 of the roll, polish the wool fibers. To help controlthe temperature of the wool fibers 104 contacting the roll surface 650,a recessed chute or groove 652 is provided on the roll in between eachof the pairs of blades 646 to reduce the surface area of the roll thatis in contact with the wool fibers 104. Otherwise, the heated rollsurface 650 could overheat and damage the wool fibers. Additionally, aleading edge or lip 654 of the grooves 652 contacts the wool fibers 104to further polish the fibers.

In a finish coating step 610, a conditioning, polishing or finishcoating 658 is applied to the wool fibers 104 to enhance the luster andsoftness of the wool fibers as well as improve the anti-staticproperties of the fibers. Coating 658 may be a sheepskin conditioningsolution as known in the art for softening, conditioning and improvingthe luster of natural shearling fleece. In an embodiment, a finishcoating 658 includes a polishing agent (22%), a softening agent (15%),alcohol (17%), a hot stamping agent (10%) and water (36%). The polishingagent enhances the glossiness and luster of the wool fibers. The alcoholand the softening agent enhance the softness and feel of the fibers andthe hot stamping agent includes a silicone oil that increases thesmoothness and straightens the fibers. It should be appreciated that therelative proportions of the above agents may be adjusted to suitparticular operating conditions, that other suitable agents could beadded, and that other conditioning coatings as known in the art or laterdeveloped could be used in place thereof.

As shown in FIG. 20, the coating is preferably applied at a coatingstation 656 including a series of guide rollers 660 and a coatingapplicator roll 662 having an outer brush surface. The applicator roll662 is positioned adjacent to a supply or metering roll 664 whichtransfers the finish coating 658 from trough 666 to the applicator roll.It should be appreciated that the coating station 656 may include one ormore supply rolls 664 and coating applicator rolls 662 to apply adesired volume or coating weight to the wool fibers 104 of the wool pilefabric 102.

After the finish coating 658 is applied to the wool pile side of fabric102, the wetted fabric is guided or fed through a third double polishingroll station 638 c to force the coating toward the base of the woolfibers, to further remove any remaining crimping on the wool fiber endsand to polish the fiber ends (see step 612). It should be appreciatedthat the polishing steps may be performed by one or more of the doublepolishing roll stations where each of the stations includes at least oneheated roll. In the illustrated embodiment, the operation of the thirddouble polishing roll station 638 c is similar to the double polishingroller stations 638 described above and therefore will not be repeatedhere. In the present embodiment, the feed rate of the fabric 102 throughthis machine is 6.0 m/min and the temperature of the front roll 644 isabout 245° C. and the rear roll 645 is slightly cooler at about 235° C.Also, the rotational speed of each of the two polishing rolls in thethird double roller polishing station is 840 rpm. It should beappreciated that the feed rate and the temperature and rotational speedof the front and rear rolls may be adjusted as necessary.

Referring now to FIGS. 16 and 21, fabric 102 is guided through apolishing and shearing station 668 having one or more machines to ensurethe consistency and uniformity of the length of wool fibers 104. Asshown in FIG. 21, the polishing and shearing station 668 includes aseries of guides 670, a pivoting guide 672 for aligning the wool pilefabric 102, a frame portion 673, guide rollers 674 and a nip 675 forguiding and moving the fabric through the machine. A continuous belt 677driven by a plurality of rollers 678 presses fabric 102 into contactwith polishing roll 679. Polishing roll 679 has the same construction asthe polishing roll described in FIG. 19 but is driven to rotate in adirection opposite of the fabric travel. After the wool fibers 104 arepolished by the polishing roll 679, the wool pile fabric is engaged by ashearing roll 680 having a spiral protruding blade that further cuts thewool fibers 104 to a second intermediate length. The wool pile fabric102 exits the polishing and shearing station 668 for yet anotherpolishing step with a double polishing roll station 638 as shown in FIG.16.

The luster and softness of the wool fibers 104 of the wool pile fabric102 are further enhanced by providing a fourth polishing step via adouble polishing roll station 638 d. The operation of this doublepolishing roll step is described above where in this embodiment, thefront roll 644 is heated to a temperature of 230° C. and the rear roll645 is heated to a slightly cooler temperature of 225° C.

The wool pile fabric 102 is now optionally guided through a singlepolishing roll station 682 including a single heated polishing roll 681,which in this embodiment, is heated to a temperature of 215° C. The roll681 is constructed and operates in the same way as the polishing rollshown in FIG. 21, i.e., rotating in a direction opposite fabric travel,and described above for removing any remaining crimping on the ends ofthe wool fibers 104 of the pile fabric 102. Specifically, the station682 includes a guide 689 on a pivoting arm 683 for aligning the woolpile fabric 102 and a series of stationary guides 684, guide rollers685, guide belts 686 driven by drive rollers 687 and a frame portion688.

After this polishing stage, the wool pile fabric 102 undergoes a finalshearing step at polishing-shearing station 690. This station performsthe same as or similar to polishing-shearing station 668 as describedabove and more specifically, performs final shearing and polishing ofthe wool fibers to achieve the wool pile fabric parameters. Thepolishing roll in this machine is heated to a temperature of 205° C.while the machine shears the wool fibers to a predetermined finallength, which in this embodiment is 17-18 mm.

An additional optional post-finishing process includes tumbling thatcurls the wool fibers 104 of the wool pile fabric 102. A tumblingmachine includes a housing and a door slidably or pivotably attached tothe housing that provides access to a heated drum-type roller (similarto a clothes dryer) configured to receive the wool pile fabric. The woolpile fabric 102 is inserted into the drum roller and the drum roller isheated to a predetermined temperature and rotated for a designatedperiod time. When the tumbling process is finished, the wool fibers ofthe wool pile fabric 102 are uniformly curled.

After the post-finishing process is finished, the wool pile fabric 102is transported to a storage area (step 622) or to a shipping area (step624) for shipping to another location such as a distributor or endproduct manufacturer such as a footwear manufacturer.

Typically, the scrim 106 of the wool pile fabric 102 does not have adesirable appearance to be used as the outer surface of an end productsuch as footwear. Accordingly as shown in FIG. 23, the wool pile fabric102 is optionally attached to a suitable facing material 112 in alamination step 620 (FIG. 15). In the lamination process, a facingmaterial is glued, sewn or otherwise attached to the scrim to enhancethe finished product. An example wool pile fabric 102 laminated to afacing is shown in FIG. 3. It should be appreciated that the terms“facing” and “facing material” are used herein to refer to an outerlayer of natural or artificial material. It should be appreciated thatthe facing material 112 may be any suitable material, including but notlimited to, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), vinyl, leather, suede, fabric,textile, synthetic leather, synthetic suede or other suitable natural orsynthetic material or combination of these materials.

Referring now to FIG. 24, an enlarged, exploded view of anotherembodiment 691 is illustrated where the wool pile fabric includes woolfibers 692 and one or more intermediate layers 693 positioned andattached between the scrim 694 and the facing material 695. In oneexample, the intermediate layer 693 is a waterproof material layer toinhibit water and moisture from moving into the fleece side. In anotherexample, the intermediate layer 693 is an insulating material layer. Itshould be appreciated that the intermediate layer or layers 693 may bemade with any suitable material or combination of materials.

Referring now to FIG. 25, in a further embodiment, wool fibers can beblended with non-wool fibers 696 by mixing the fibers in the rawmaterial finishing process step 100 (see FIG. 1). The non-wool fibers696 may include natural or artificial fibers such as phase changefibers, sensitive fibers and odor reducing fibers. Phase change fibersare used to manage the temperature of the pile fabric made from thecombination or blend of phase change and wool fibers. For example, thephase change fibers cause the fleece to feel cooler than fleece toadjust to varying temperatures in different parts of the world and atdifferent seasons (winter, spring, summer and fall). Sensitive fibersmake the fleece feel softer where the softness of the fleece can beadjusted by adjusting the amount of the sensitive fibers mixed with thewool fibers 692. Odor reducing fibers include zinc oxide that inhibitsbacteria growth on the fleece that may be present from sweat and otherelements. Preventing or limiting the amount of bacteria on the fleece,eliminates or reduces the odor of the fleece. It should be appreciatedthat other suitable fibers may be mixed with the wool fibers 692 andthat any suitable amount or mixture of the above processed fibers 696with the wool fibers 692 may be used in embodiments of the sheared woolprocessing method described above.

Referring to FIGS. 26 and 27, in another embodiment, the wool pilefabric 697, and more specifically, the pile side 698 of the wool pilefabric 697 is made with wool fibers 692 having different lengths orsections of the wool fibers having different lengths. For example, inFIG. 27, the pile side 698 includes alternating sections includingsections 699 a with wool fibers 692 having a length of 0.7 mm andsections 699 b with fibers having a length of 0.1 mm. In another exampleshown in FIG. 26, the pile side 698 has wool pile sections 699 aseparated by bare sections 699 c with little or no fibers 692. It shouldbe appreciated that the pile side 698 of the semi-finished wool productmay include sections having any suitable wool fiber length or sectionshaving no wool fibers. It should also be appreciated that the abovefleece sections may be sections having the same wool fibers 692, amixture of wool fibers 692 and the non-wool fibers 696 (FIGS. 25A and25B) discussed above or solely the processed fibers 696. The varyinglengths of the sections and the sections having no fibers allow for airflow through the fleece, such as in a liner of a boot or a shoe, toenhance user comfort and temperature control.

In another embodiment, the fleece side 698 of the semi-finished woolproduct or the wool pile fabric 697 includes one or more sections havingwool fibers 692 of different densities (i.e., the number of wool fibers692 per square inch), which helps control the air flow through thefleece on the fleece side 698. In one example, the length and/or densityof the fibers 692 of the wool pile fabric 697 is different in theforefoot region, ball region or heel of footwear for controlling thecomfort level and support in different regions or sections of footwear.It should be appreciated that the number of fibers 692 in a particulararea or areas on the scrim 694, i.e., the density, may be uniform or mayvary along a length, a width or in any suitable pattern on the scrim.

Referring now to FIGS. 28-29, after the wool pile fabric has beenmanufactured, it can be prepared for shipment to warehouses, productmanufacturers, such as apparel and footwear manufacturers, distributionfacilities or other facilities for end processing and distribution inthe storage/shipping process 700 (FIG. 1).

Specifically, the wool pile fabric 697 is prepared for shipping tomaintain the appearance and integrity of the product 697. Initially, acalibration step 702 is performed where the tension of the packingmachine is calibrated to ensure that it is within designated standardsfor packing the wool pile fabric. After calibrating the packing machine,the wool pile fabric 697 is fed into the packing machine utilizing aseries of rollers. In a product feed step 704, the wool pile fabric 697is fed through one or more rollers of the packing machine as needed tohold the product. In this regard, the rollers hold and guide the woolpile fabric 697 for packing as described below.

After the wool pile fabric 697 is in place, a core loading step 706 isperformed where a core or tube made of a durable material such asdurable plastic or a high density cardboard is inserted or loaded onto afeed roller of the packing machine. The length and diameter of the tubeis determined by the width and length of the wool pile fabric to beshipped. In this regard, an end of the wool pile fabric 697 is fixed tothe tube by fasteners in a fixing step 708, such as nails or staples, orany other suitable connectors or connection methods. Subsequently, aportion of the wool pile fabric 697 is wrapped about the tube prior toactivating, i.e., turning on, the packing machine. It should beappreciated that any suitable length or amount of the wool pile fabricmay be initially wrapped about the tube.

When the wool pile fabric 697 is secured to the tube, a wrapping orrolling step 710 is performed where the packing machine is activated orturned “on,” which causes a primary roller or feed roller to rotate in aclockwise direction. The rotation of the feed roller pulls the wool pilefabric 697 toward the roller so that it wraps onto the tube. Thewrapping of the wool pile fabric 697 onto the tube continues until adesignated or desired amount of the product has been wrapped onto thetube. Alternatively, the packing machine can be programmed to operatefor a designated amount of time that equates to a predetermined amountof wool pile fabric 697 wrapped onto the tube. The operating time isbased on designated parameters input into the packing machine such asroller velocity and thickness of the wool pile fabric 697. After thedesired amount of the wool pile fabric 697 is wrapped onto the tube, acutting step 712 is performed when an end of the wool pile fabric 697 ismanually cut or cut by an automated cutting device associated with thepacking machine. The wool pile fabric 697 is then wrapped with a sealingmaterial in a sealing step 714, such as a polyethylene cloth orpolyethylene material, to keep the wool pile fabric 697 clean and freefrom any debris during shipping.

Prior to being shipped, a weighing and measuring step 716 is performedwhere certain information about the wool pile fabric 697 and the woolpile fabric roll(s) 722 are measured and recorded. Specifically, each ofthe wool pile fabric rolls 722 are weighed and measured and eithermanually recorded or entered into a memory device of a processor such asa computer. This information is used to ensure that the correct productroll or rolls 722 are shipped to the correct warehouses, distributorsand end manufacturers and manufacturing locations. In this embodiment,the wool pile fabric roll(s) 722 each have a length between 47.5 feetand 54.1 feet (14.5 m and 16.5 m). It should be appreciated that thewool pile fabric rolls 722 may be any suitable length or weight and haveany suitable diameter.

In a packing step 718, wool pile fabric roll(s) 722 are removed from thepacking machine, either manually or by an unloading device such as aforklift, and packed in a suitable container such as a shippingcontainer 724 made of cardboard. It should be appreciated that theshipping container can be made out of wood, plastic or any othersuitable material. Preferably, the wool pile fabric roll 722 issuspended within each container 724 so that the wool fibers 692 do notcontact and get flattened by an inner surface 726 of the container.Contact with the container 724 could also damage the wool fibers duringshipping. In an embodiment, the core or central tube 726 on which thewool pile fabric is wrapped, extends outwardly a designated distancefrom each end of the wool pile fabric. It should be appreciated thatwool pile fabric roll(s) 722 may be suspended in shipping containers 724using any alternate packaging that does not damage the wool pile.

A generally H-shaped roll support 728 is inserted over each end of thewool pile fabric roll 722 to support the product roll above anunderlying surface. Specifically, each roll support 728 includes twoside beams 730 and a horizontal beam 732 extending between a centralportion of each of the side beams. The horizontal beam 732 defines acentral opening 734 that corresponds to the size and shape of thecentral tube 726 of the wool pile fabric roll 722. Thus, a first rollsupport 728 is positioned on a first end 736 of the wool pile fabricroll 722 so that the first end extends through the central opening 734of the roll support. Similarly, a second roll support 728 is positionedon a second, opposing end 738 of the wool pile fabric roll 722 so thatthe second end extends through the central opening of the correspondingroll support.

As stated above, after the wool pile fabric roll(s) 722 are each weighedand measured and attached to the roll supports 728, and the product roll722 and the roll supports 728 are lifted and positioned in the shippingcontainer 724 as described above in the packing step 718 where theshipping container has a size and shape to receive the product roll andcorresponding roll supports. The roll supports suspend and support theproduct roll in the shipping container. It should be appreciated thatone or more of the shipping containers 724 may have a size and shape tosupport one or more of the wool pile fabric rolls 722 and roll supports728 to secure the product rolls in each container 724. In a shippingstep 720, the packed wool pile fabric rolls 722 are shipped ortransported to a warehouse, distributor or manufacturer for subsequentprocessing and distribution.

After being shipped, wool pile fabric (102, 697) on the product roll(s)722 is used to make different end products such as footwear, apparel,i.e., coats, gloves, hats, and other products. In one example, the woolpile fabric (102, 697) is used as a liner for footwear, apparel andother products in lieu of conventional sheepskin.

While particular embodiments of the present method have been describedherein, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changesand modifications may be made thereto without departing from theinvention in its broader aspects.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of making a sheared wool, deep pilefabric that closely resembles natural sheepskin fleece, comprising,forming a length of wool pile fabric having natural wool fibers on oneside and a scrim on an opposing side, and finishing the wool pile fabricas natural sheepskin, including, polishing the wool fiber side of thepile fabric by guiding the length of pile fabric over plural heatedfirst polishing rolls, applying a sheepskin conditioning solution to thewool fiber side of the pile fabric, further polishing the wool fiberside of the pile fabric by guiding the fabric a plurality of times overplural second heated polishing rolls, and cutting the wool fibers to adesignated length.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of thefirst and second polishing rolls in between the polishing and furtherpolishing steps comprises a plurality of blades, each blade having amultiplicity of teeth for raking the wool fiber side of the fabric. 3.The method of claim 1, wherein each of the polishing rolls in both ofthe polishing and further polishing steps comprises a plurality ofblades, each blade having a multiplicity of teeth for raking the woolfiber side of the fabric.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein thepolishing step is performed with a first set of plural heated rolls andthe further polishing step is performed by a second set of plural heatedrolls.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising cutting the woolfibers to an intermediate length prior to cutting the wool fibers to thedesignated length.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the wool fibers aretreated prior to the forming step by: providing a batch of sheared woolfibers, applying a mixing solution to the fibers, mixing the wool fiberswith applied mixing solution, carding the wool fibers and forming a webof wool fibers, and slivering the web.
 7. The method of claim 6, whereinthe mixing solution comprises a mineral oil, an anti-static agent andwater.
 8. A method of making a sheared wool pile fabric comprising:combining wool fibers with a yarn to form a length of wool pile fabrichaving a wool fiber pile on one side and a textile scrim on an opposingside, rough shearing the wool fiber side of the fabric to a firstpredetermined length of the wool fibers, applying a polishing coating tothe wool fiber side of the fabric, polishing the wool fiber side bypassing the fabric over at least two heated rolls, fine shearing thewool fiber side of the web to a second predetermined length of the woolfibers.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the rough shearing, applying,polishing and fine shearing steps are performed in an automated,substantially continuous process on the length of fabric travelling at aspeed of at least 6 meters per minute.
 10. The method of claim 8,wherein the combining step comprises simultaneously knitting the woolfibers with the yarn.
 11. The method of claim 8, wherein the combiningstep comprises forming a continuous tubular piece of fabric and slittingthe tubular piece of fabric to form said length of wool pile fabric. 12.The method of claim 8, further comprising a step of applying a back sidecoating to the textile scrim after the combining step and before thepolishing step, the back side coating including a stiffening agent. 13.The method of claim 8, further comprising an initial polishing step ofpassing the wool fiber side of the web over at least two heated rollsafter the rough shearing step and prior to the step of applying thepolishing solution.
 14. The method of claim 8, wherein the polishingcoating comprises a polishing agent, a softening agent, alcohol, a hotstamping agent and water.
 15. The method of claim 8, further comprisingan initial polishing step of passing the wool fiber side of the fabricover a first set of heated double rolls, followed by passing the woolfiber side of the fabric over a second set of heating double rolls priorto the applying step.
 16. The method according to claim 8, wherein inthe polishing step the rolls are heated to at least 235 degrees C. andthe fabric is passed at a speed of 6 to 8 meters per minute.
 17. Themethod of claim 8, wherein the fine shearing step comprises passing theweb through a combined polishing and shearing machine.
 18. The method ofclaim 8, wherein the fine shearing step comprises passing the fabricthrough a combined polishing and shearing machine, polishing the woolfiber side of the fabric with at least one heated roll, and passing thefabric a second time through the combined polishing and shearingmachine.
 19. A method of making a wool fleece product comprising:providing wool slivers comprised of sheared wool fibers, knitting thewool fibers with a yarn to form a length of semi-finished wool pilefabric having a wool pile on one side and a textile scrim on an opposingside, rough shearing the wool fleece side of the web to a first lengthof the wool fibers, polishing the wool pile side by passing the fabricthrough a first set of at least two rolls heated to at least 240 degreesC., applying a polishing coating to the wool pile side of the fabric,polishing the wool pile side by passing the fabric through a second setof at least two rolls heated to at least 235 degrees C., shearing thewool pile side of the fabric to a second wool fiber length, wherein thesecond wool fiber length is less than the first wool fiber length,polishing the wool pile side by passing the fabric through a third setof at least two rolls heated to at least 225 degrees C., furtherpolishing the wool fleece side of the web with at least one additionalroll heated to temperature of at least 215 degrees C., and shearing thewool pile side of the fabric to a final wool fiber length, wherein thefinal wool fiber length is less than the second wool fiber length. 20.The method of claim 19, wherein at least one of the first and secondrolls in each of the first, second and third sets of rolls and saidadditional roll comprise a plurality of blades, each blade having amultiplicity of teeth for raking the wool fiber side of the fabric. 21.The method of claim 19, wherein the knitting step comprisessimultaneously knitting the wool fibers with the yarn to form acontinuous tubular piece of fabric and slitting the tubular piece offabric to said length of wool pile fabric.